Farmers across the country are complaining at the staggering costs of fertilizer as they plan their preparations for getting back on the fields.

Here at WVH we don’t use chemical fertilizers, so do not have to worry about the price structure in that specific marketplace. However, when one type of fertilizer goes up in price, other resources that can do the same job such as organic options

(and in our humble opinion, more safely for both the environment and our equine partners) also rise in price.

Net result to the hay buyer will be an increase in prices in 2021. As if the drought in the North East USA wasn’t enough for horse owners to contend with last year, news that hay expenses may eat up more of the horsekeeping budget again is not welcome news.

Oil prices last year were favorable to the farmer so if cash flow allowed hopefully the opportunity to stock up on supplies was available. But you need a lot of storage for diesel when it comes to stashing enough fuel to meet the needs of the entire year’s farming operating costs. This year, the fuel prices are high. Recent increases over a week 15 cents/gallon due to refineries being offline due to the Texas freeze-out haven’t helped.

So what is the number one thing a horse owner can do to mitigate hay costs for their beloved horses? Buy good quality hay.

Poor quality hay will not only be wasted as horses discard the less than tasty forage and use it as bedding and trample it around, it will also provide less nutrient value. Another downside of feeding poor quality hay is the risk of colic or choke. Veterinary expenses aside, the emotional turmoil of treating a horse for these conditions and indeed the very real chance of losing a horse to colic, is not one to be overlooked.

How do you ascertain good quality hay? How should you store it?

Check out these resources for help:

The 7 Deadly Sins of Haymaking

Horse Hay ~ Are You Playing With Fire